Overview
- Pentagon officials told the New York Times that hundreds of U.S. service members were evacuated from Al Udeid in Qatar and from bases in Bahrain that host the Fifth Fleet.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford has entered the Mediterranean and is moving toward the eastern basin, while the USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea with three Tomahawk‑capable Arleigh Burke destroyers and an F‑35C carrier air wing.
- FlightRadar24 data show a sharp increase in U.S. military transport flights, tankers, surveillance aircraft and drones headed to Qatar, Jordan, Crete and Spain.
- President Trump said he is considering a limited strike, and reporting indicates planners are keeping open the option of a longer campaign with Israel while ground troop deployment is viewed as unlikely.
- The buildup is described as the largest since 2003, with the Ford expected to be positioned south of Cyprus within days to bolster defenses for Israel and support potential operations.